Phantom Gentleman
by ElesaryAyres
Summary: Simon and Isabelle are stalked by a new threat. Jace and Clary are starting their lives together. Jordan has been getting toothy with Maia, and she seems to like it. Magnus and Alec are dancing around each other, but what will happen when they collide.


Simon

Friday, January 17th

2:11 PM

Unfortunately, I had to wait in the car when I went to pick Isabelle up for our date. I had never been able to enter the Institute, but now I felt uncomfortable even in the courtyard. So I sat in the car and texted her.

As I waited for her I checked the picnic basket before lifting it to the backseat. "You look beautiful. "I told her as she slid in the car.

She kissed my cheek and I was suddenly adrift in her subtle scent. "Drive, Simon." I grinned and drove the few blocks to central park.

We set up our picnic on the great lawn, for once, we were the only picnickers, but that might have been because of the snow on the grass.

I laid the warm blanket down on the snow and placed the basket on top of it, before offering Isabelle a thermos full of hot chocolate and a croissant from her favorite French bakery. "You are amazing," she told me, wagging the pastry at me for emphasis.

I grinned back and collected a handful of snow behind my back. I waited for her to put down the thermos before I flicked it at her face.

"Oh!" she cried, scooping it out of her eyes. "You are so dead!" I gathered another handful of snow as I carefully stepped away from her. She grinned viciously at me and sunk into a crouch, making a snowball of her own. She crept forward with a focus that reminded me of a cat stalking a mouse.

She leaned back down and formed another snowball. "Are you ready, Simon?"

I replied by chucking the snowball at her. She shrieked and flew at me. Her first snowball hit my cheek and she leapt around my back and slipped her second one down my shirt. I wrapped my arms behind me and heaved her around my side so she was pressed against my chest. She lashed out with her legs and knocked me flat on my ass.

I rolled over and pinned her beneath me, one hand holding each wrist. "Hi," I said, grinning down at her.

She cocked her head and grinned. "Hey, Simon, that was pretty hot."

Something caught my eye. I glanced up and saw and stony figure standing by a large tree. "Isaubelle," I said, climbing off of her and helping her up. "Do you know who that is?"

She brushed the snow out of her head and sighed. "That's Kien, we used to date."

I raised my eyebrows, but didn't comment, "should we go and talk to him?"

"Nah," she replied with a small smile, "He's Fae, if he wants to talk to us, we'll know."

The words had hardly left her mouth when our guest spoke. "Daywalker Simon!" his voice rang out loudly even though he didn't move, I shared an anxious glance with Isabelle. "The Queen would have words with you!"

"Me?" I asked, shock coloring my voice. I turned to Isabelle at Kien's solemn nod. "Should we go?"

"I don't see how we can avoid it." She pointed out, shooting her ex an anxious glance. I gripped her hand as we made our way over to him. "What did you do?" she asked quietly. "Why does the queen want to see you?"

"I guess we'll find out."

The fae lead us back by the tree, where we walked through a small shimmer and emerged in her waiting room. Kien made a stiff bow and disappeared out a hidden door, leaving us alone with no way out.

"Are you sure you don't know what this is about?" Isabelle asked me quietly. The silence seemed suffocating enough that we didn't want to break it.

I shrugged. "I have no idea." I examined the room to get my mind away from the current situation. It was beautiful and regal and cold, with no passion or emotion. For some reason it made me shiver despite the undeniable style and beauty.

"Ahem," a woman who looked much like Kien said from the where she seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "The Queen will see you now."

She is waiting on her thrown, lounging in silk and she terrified me as much as she did the first time I saw her.

"Daywalker," she greeted, her voice reminding me of cracking ice for some reason. "I have summoned you here to reveal a truth, and then to offer you a choice."

I opened my mouth to question or protest but Isabelle grabbed my hand and squeezed hard enough so I could feel my bones grind, so I nodded dumbly instead.

The queens eyes seemed amused as they rested on our entwined hands. "Interesting…" she mused, then her eyes focused on my face again. "Do you know how much money is on your head right now?"

Isabelle's hand went slack from surprise; whatever she had been expecting, this wasn't it. I opened my mouth and closed it like a fish.

"From you reaction I can see you had no idea," the amused tone in her voice was back. "Let me shed some light on this situation, shall I? Some intrepid soul has decided that since the Mark of Cain has been removed they would prefer you to be dead and are willing to pay handsomely for it." She paused.

I glanced around me for a way out, although I didn't see any. _Had she summoned me here to kill me?_ I prayed that after my death she would let Isabelle go.

"I don't need money, Simon." The queen continued, as if she had read my mind. "I need something a lot more valuable, and that's where the choice comes in. You either stay here with me, all alone. Or you leave, free and clear," she smiled, but it wasn't reassuring in the least. "but if you leave, I will sanction the hit, which, as you might imagine, will increase its power tenfold."


End file.
